THX7966

Then Bryan Singer himself missed it too, because he did not use the kid as effectively as he should have.

Dr. DVD

Poor Orndorf, he writes a review of anything and it rubs people the wrong way.

raven56706

Ok people... what trailers did you see with Superman?

Geofferson

I'm assuming the new Spidey 3 teaser?

LivingINClip

No it doesn't. It is about OPINION. Get over it.


You need to learn how to read. I stated that I am a huge fan of the comic book genre and I see all these movies day one and sometimes I come back surprised. I'm a huge fan of the Superman charater in general, there is no way I will miss his "Return" - but that does not mean I have to expect the movie to be good, not when I see a lot of things that I am not happy with.

As for the whole argument dead in the water.
I thought the same of your posts when you tried to defend X-MEN, which was one of the single worst comic book films..EVER. Right up there with Corman's Fantastic Four that didn't even get released.

Superboy

I saw an Imax 3D presentation and the only ones were kids movies - Ant Bully, Open Season, Happy Feet. No Spidey 3, though it might vary from theater to theater. I didn't get to see Ghost Rider with X-men.

Back on topic guys...let me just say that anyone who was even remotely looking forward to this movie isn't going to be disappointed. You might be underwhelmed but you're not going to walk away without feeling entertained.

Geofferson

How was the Imax 3D presentation? Was it dizzying for 2 1/2 hours at all?

Superboy

Only 20 minutes of the movie is in 3D. To be quite honest I didn't think the effects were that great, although it did add something to the movie.

Dr. DVD

I did read the part about you seeing all comic book movies on the first day, and I respect that, but what I can't fathom is if you think a movie is bad, why go and see it? Just because it's a comic book movie shouldn't grant it clemency; I thought both Electra and Catwoman looked like crap so I didn't buy a ticket. But hey, that's you, and it's your money, do what you will with it. FWIW, I didn't try to defend X-Men that much , I just stated I thought it was great and a lot of other people did, but it seems to me you thought my argument dead in the water just because I said something positive about it. It seems like anyone who says they liked it you consider their opinion dead in the water because you didn't. I'm not saying you can't have an opinion, but the least you can do is acknowledge there are others out there, and just because you state yours doesn't make it a fact to anyone but yourself. The way you made your post about the X-Men and Spidey flicks made it seem like you thought were right and everyone else was wrong. All you have to do is make it clear with a simple "IMO" mark that you are just stating an opinion. That I can respect.


For those that have seen Superman Returns, was there any mention of General Zod and his attempt to take over the world?

THX7966

None.

Dr. DVD

I wonder if that means they want to bring him back for a sequel? If so, I want something new, not Superman II redux. Maybe have him work with Brainiac or better yet, Darkseid!

Patman

Heading out to wait in line for the 10 p.m showing. See y'all in about 5 hours!

mikehunt

going to an imax showing at 10pm
likely won't post until tomorrow night though, have to work tomorrow

quietsoul

Is there a missing Superman Returns trailer? I could've sworn I saw one in Quicktime format with the quote, "You write that the world doesn't need a savior, but everyday I hear people crying for one," and for the life of me, I can't find that trailer again. Link anybody?

toddly6666

damn, this movie sucked! Totally boring, poor flow, bad acting. And what story? Should have stuck with X-men, Singer. Ratner did a better movie with X-men 3 than Singer with Superman Returns....

Ranger

Does anyone like this movie better than Batman Begins?

I'm curious if people think this movie can outdo these numbers.

Batman Begins:
Total US Gross $205,343,774
Production Budget $150,000,000
Worldwide Gross $371,824,647

The production cost for Superman Returns was $209,000,000.

mikehunt

great movie. blows x3 away and reinforces that fox should have waited and let singer do it after superman
the 3D stuff was worth the extra few bucks too

was that the actor's real voice or post production filtering to get it to sound a bit like Reeve?

Dr. DVD

Saw it. I once again believe a man can fly! Ignore the above poster ( the one with all the sixes), this movie was very well done for the most part, though I fear I must agree with him that the flow needed some work. Directors of today seem to not know how to make a big-budget flick without it going into the 2 hours plus mark. My butt is still numb!!!

The beginnning was spot on, everything I wanted when Superman returned to the big screen. Bosworth was not that bad as Lois Lane, I bought her in the role. Spacey was a great Luthor, but Routh, boy was he the right choice. I was worried about his acting ability, but he carried this movie very well. I know I will risk a flame with this comment, but I loved the kid!


Like I said, my only gripe was that it really was too damn long, and I feel that when next weekend comes audiences have to choose between a two and a half hour movie that has a little action and a lot of character, or one that allegedly has action from the word go (POTC:2), they will take the one with a lot of action. Heck, I might as well.

This movie was definitely a love letter to the original Donner version, and that might not be the best thing for it. Many people admitted that it reminded them a lot of that version, but they also said that like that version it was too long with dull moments. Hey, at least Singer didn't have Lois do that stupid "Can You Read My Mind" voice over again.

I give it a solid ***, with a higher grade pending after I see the IMAX version. Not as great as Batman Begins, or even the Spider-Man movies, but on level with the X-Men movies for sure. Check it out, if you can spare the time...

ClarkKentKY

I'll agree. Too long. The first half was awesome and blew me away. Everything after the climax could have been cut out and it would have gotten another star from me. 20 minutes could have easily been shaved off. That's my only complaint. Routh did great. I'm sure i'll go see this a second time in the theater.



My only fan-boy nitpick is:

Patman

Well, do you get your money's worth? Hell yeah! I think the film starts out a little shakey, a little awkward, almost looking like a newborn horse finding its legs before it learns how to walk and then run, but then about 15 minutes into the film, it settles into a nice groove through most of the 2nd and 3rd act (the film's got about 4 main sections to it), and I'm sucked into this world that has a Superman and all the associated baggage that goes along with it.

Loved the special effects, the inertial ramifications of the use of Superman's power are tended to, though there some some shots that require you to believe in Superman's tactile telekinesis to handle the balancing of massive object when applying the strength at a certain spot (covered in the comics about 20 years when John Byrne was tapped to re-launch the Superman titles). Some of the shots are just breathtakingly beautiful and haunting. The flying sequence are pretty fluid, but there's a few that rely a little too much on CGI at times, but I wasn't distracted by it.

Brandon Routh's performance is pretty good, nothing too glaring to undercut the job he did in his first big-time film, he's likable as Clark, and exudes a much more confident persona as Superman. Kate Bosworth wasn't as bad as I had feared, but not as solid as I had hoped, but it's sort of ironic she has better onscreen chemistry with Kevin Spacey than Routh (but understandable due to their participatio in the film "Beyond the Sea"). Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor has turned a bit thuggish, but then again, 5 years in prison will do that to a man, and Lex was no exception. I can forgive such "thuggishness" since there is some reason behind it. The rest of the cast is pretty grounded, which is good for a film with such fantastical elements in a "real" world setting.

Enjoyed the score, been listening to it in the car lately as well. Now that I've seen the film, just hearing some of the score just sends me right back to that segment of the film.

I'm not sure what I'd cut out of the film script-wise because I could probably soak up another hour if it were shown to us. I spotted the screenwriters in the museum scene.

Bryan Singer's direction is solid more than competent, he has a knack for never losing the audience in the action sequences, and isn't afraid to slow down the pace and pay attention to the human relationships at play. The ending coda just made me want to cry, given the beats explored in those short scenes that move me in terms of sacrifice, and never giving up despite the obstacles and the personal costs, and looking towards the future that comes full circle.

It's true that the film uses Donner's earlier films as its foundation, but I think the writing is going to take on a whole different level with the sequels given how things played. I didn't have a problem with giving a lot of nods to original Donner films because I thought it wasn't just a rehash, but building towards a new mythology.

I give it 3.75 stars or a grade of A- for now.

I'm checking out the IMAX version on Wednesday night, mainly to see how well the 3D holds up in the 20 minutes of 3D'd footage.

Wick

I just got back from it about forty five minutes ago. I thought it was great. It's definitely one of the best superhero movies out there and it's well-worth seeing.

digitalfreaknyc

Ditto. Just got back and the audience was nuts. Absolutely fantastic!!!!!

Patman

This is how I know the audience was sucked into this new world of Superman on film: there was this annoying kid that was snickering and reading aloud the text on the screen, but as the film gained momentum, the kid simply shut up and was totally drawn into the film.

mattressman

I've just gotten back from the theater, and I have the biggest smile ever.
I cannot believe how good Singer got it.

Al Padrino

I was expecting something with depth; a movie with characters I could care about and a story that gripped me from reel-to-reel. It didn't happen. Credit can be given for side-stepping a popcorn movie formula, but what's there isn't much better. I'm not sure where to begin, but let's see what we can do here:

- The plot: Perhaps my primary complaint. The Lex Luther storyline becomes secondary to the romance angle, which has never appealed to me. Now we've thrown in a dopey guy to create some tension. The bulk of the scenes that tied in with this storyline seemed to drone on and on.

Granted, Lex's plot wasn't much better, but Spacey is easily the most engaging character in this thing. It would've been nice if he'd not come off as a second-string player. In that respect, the trailers were misleading, since you almost forget he's in the damn thing at times.

- The characters: I was expecting the magic Batman Begins had to come through here. There was a mix of action in Begins, but that was a backdrop element to the movie's characters. With the exception of Katie Holmes, I got into all of the key characters. In Superman Returns, not much is given for me to hold onto. This line from Ebert's review sums it up:
Supes has never been the most eloquent speaker, but he's almost a mime during chunks of the film. I'd say most of the characters don't have enough dialogue with substance, too. Lois Lane just comes off as a scorned bitch half the flick. Spacey's a fun, witty character that does Gene Hackman's take on Luthor justice. But he's such a bit player in this grandiose picture that I was left wondering if a marquee name was really necessary for the role.

- The running time: If the story is done well, the length of a film doesn't bother me. I can sit all day and watch a film if it's engrossing enough. Returns isn't. There's entirely too much fat that could've been trimmed. It was almost like watching a Peter Jackson movie, except there were things that could've been condensed without question. Because of the two main plots, the plethora of action sequences and bulky finished product, the movie feels directionless at times.

- The CGI: I usually don't pick at special effects, but some of them in Returns just stick out like a sore thumb. Granted, it's going to be tough to create constantly realistic effects in a film where the lead role has super strength, but still.

Not being a huge Superman fan to begin with probably doesn't help, but this still ranks as a big disappointment for me. I was expecting a compelling story with interesting characters. Superman Returns doesn't deliver either. I really wanted to like it and hope that a subsequent viewing will leave a different impression, but for now, it's nowhere near Batman Begins.